Lagerstroemia Plant Named &#39;PIILAG B3&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG B3’, characterized by its compact, rounded intermediate growth habit, reddish purple new growth, lustrous dark green foliage in summer,  fuchsia -pink flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and  Cercospora  leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIILAG B3’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIILAG B3’. ‘PIILAG B3’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant.

‘PIILAG B3’ originated from open-pollinated seed of Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad VI’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,161) growing in Watkinsville, Ga. The cultivar ‘PIILAG B3’ originated in 2008 and was selected in a cultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of this open-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit and foliage and flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG B3’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga. since 2009 has shown that all the unique features of this new Lagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproduced true-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG B3’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG B3’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PIILAG B3’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1. Compact, rounded intermediate growth habit; 2. Reddish purple new growth; 3. Lustrous dark green foliage in summer; 4. Fuchsia-pink flowers; 5. Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B3’ differ from plants of the parent, ‘Gamad VI’, primarily in growth habit, flower color, and time of flowering. Plants of ‘Gamad VI’ have a compact, mounded growth habit and produce deep red and purple flowers in early summer, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG B3’ have an overall larger, compact, rounded intermediate growth habit and fuchsia-pink flowers in mid-summer.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B3’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘Whit III’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,319), but differ in overall size, foliage color, and flower color. Plants of ‘PIILAG B3’ have a compact, rounded intermediate growth habit, foliage that emerges reddish purple and matures to lustrous dark green, and fuchsia-pink flowers, whereas plants of ‘Whit III’ have an overall larger growth habit, ruby red new growth that matures to purplish green, and red-purple flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliage characteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIILAG B3’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately desbribe the colors of the new Lagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of an established plant of ‘PIILAG B3’ planted in the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘PIILAG B3’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately two years old and were grown in 11.8 L containers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors are described using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG B3’.     Parentage: Female, or seed, parent: Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad VI’ (U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 22,161). Male, or pollen parent: unknown     (open-pollinated). Propagation: terminal cuttings. Time to initiate     roots, summer: about 21 days at 32° C. -   Plant description: Flowering shrub; compact, rounded intermediate     growth habit. Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch     development. -   Root description: Numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched. -   Plant size: The original plant, now about five-years-old in the     ground, is about 137 cm high from the soil level to the top of the     inflorescences and about 132 cm wide. First year stems have a     diameter of about 2.5 mm. Shape: squarish. Second year and older     stems have a diameter of about 5 mm or more. Shape: round. -   Trunk diameter: 3.2 cm at the soil line. Color: N199B. -   Internode length: About 2 cm. -   Strength: Flexible when young, easily broken once mature. -   First year stem color (young): 178B. Color (woody): 200D. -   Second year and older stem color: N199B. -   Bark: Exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year stems. -   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,     imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: 178C. Size: about 2.5     mm in length and 1 mm in width. -   Foliage description: -   Arrangement: Sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length: about     4.8 cm. Width: about 2.8 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex: acuminate.     Base: cuneate. Margin: entire. -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces): Glabrous and glossy. -   Venation pattern: Pinnate. Venation color of emerging foliage (upper     and lower surfaces): 180A. Venation color of fully expanded foliage     (upper and lower surfaces): 47A. -   Color in developing foliage (upper surface): 185A. Color in     developing foliage (lower surface): 185B. Color in fully expanded     foliage (upper surface): 147A. Color in fully expanded foliage     (lower surface): 146B. -   Petiole length: About 2 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm. Petiole     color (upper and lower surfaces): 185B. Pubescence: none. -   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to     September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about     two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are     self-cleaning. -   Inflorescence type: Panicle. Inflorescence length: about 12.7 cm.     Inflorescence width: about 9.8 cm. -   Peduncle: About 10.5 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter, color is     178B, and no pubescence. -   Individual flowers: About 2.1 cm in height and 2.8 cm in diameter. -   Flower buds: Length: about 7 mm; Diameter: about 7 mm; Color: 51B. -   Pedicels: About 7 mm in length, 178B in color, and no pubescence. -   Calyx: About 8 mm in length, about 1 cm in diameter, 51B in color,     and no pubescence. -   Petals: -   Arrangement/appearance: Usually 6 or 7 per flower. -   Petal length: About 1.4 cm. -   Petal width: About 1.1 cm. -   Petal shape: Fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal base:     sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper and lower     surfaces): glabrous. -   Petal color: Upper and lower surfaces are 61B. -   Stamens: -   Quantity/arrangement: About 25 to 30 short stamens clustered in the     center, about 7 mm long, filament color is 1C, and anther color is     14A. The short stamens are surrounded by 6 longer stamens, about 1.4     cm long, filament color is N57C, and anther color is 14A. The     stamens are not pubescent. Pollen: produced in moderate quantities     and is 13C in color on the short stamens and 145A in color on the     long stamens. -   Pistils: -   Quantity: One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none. Pistil     length: about 1.7 cm in length. Stigma shape: round, about 1 mm in     diameter. Stigma color: 146D. Style color: 180B and about 1.4 cm in     length. Ovary color: 8C and about 2 mm in diameter. -   Fruit: -   Type/appearance: Six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal capsule.     Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 7 mm. Immature color: 144A.     Mature color: 200C. Each capsule contains many seeds that are about     5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in color. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety     grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to     powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG B3’, as illustrated and described herein. 